was true to his own faith, to
the backbone, but he entertained no prejudice against a good looking
Protestant youth when a fortunate marriage was in question. So little
had been given to the Irish in these days, that they were bound to take
what they could get. Lord Scroope and the Countess, had they known
the priest's views on this matter, would have regarded him as an
unscrupulous intriguing ruffian, prepared to destroy the happiness of a
noble family by a wicked scheme. But his views of life, as judged from
the other side, admitted of some excuse. As for a girl breaking her
heart, he did not, perhaps, much believe in such a catastrophe. Of a
sore heart a girl must run the chance,--as also must a man. That young
men do go about promising marriage and not keeping their promise, he
knew well. None could know that better than he did, for he was the
repository of half the love secrets in his parish. But all that was
part of the evil coming from the fall of Adam, and must be endured
till,--till the Pope should have his own again, and be able to set all
things right. In the meantime young women must do the best they could
to keep their lovers;--and should one lover break away, then must the
deserted one use her experience towards getting a second. But how was a
girl to have a lover at all, if she were never allowed to see a man? He
had been bred a priest from his youth upwards, and knew nothing of love;
but nevertheless it was a pain to him to see a young girl, good-looking,
healthy, fit to be the mother of children, pine away, unsought for,
uncoupled,--as it would be a pain to see a fruit grow ripe upon the
tree, and then fall and perish for the want of plucking. His philosophy
was perhaps at fault, and it may be that his humanity was unrefined. But
he was human to the core,--and, at any rate, unselfish. That there might
be another danger was a fact that he looked full in the face. But what
victory can be won without danger? And he thought that he knew this
girl, who three times a year would open her whole heart to him in
confession. He was sure that she was not only innocent, but good. And
of the man, too, he was prone to believe good;--though who on such a
question ever trusts a man's goodness? There might be danger and there
must be discretion; but surely it would not be wise, because evil
was possible, that such a one as Kate O'Hara should be kept from all
that intercourse without which a woman is only half a woman! He